"For patients with arrhythmic or other cardiac symptoms, a resting 12-lead ECG is very helpful to evaluate the presence of myocardial scar (Q-waves or fractionated QRS complexes), the QT interval, ventricular hypertrophy, and other evidence of systolic heart disease"

---> For treatment of patients with non-sustained VAs, we propose the following consensus recommendations. Expert consensus recommendations on non-sustained Vas

(1) Infrequent ventricular ectopic beats, couplets, and triplets without other signs of an underlying SHD or an inherited arrhythmia syndrome should be considered as a normal variant in asymptomatic patients. IIa LOE C

(2) An invasive electrophysiological study (EPS) should be considered in patients with significant SHD and non-sustained VAs especially if accompanied by unexplained symptoms such as syncope, near-syncope, or sustained palpitations IIa LOE C

(3) No treatment other than reassurance is needed for patients with neither SHD nor an inherited arrhythmogenic disorder who have asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic PVCs. I LOE C

(4) It is recommended to treat survivors of a myocardial infarction (MI) and other patient with reduced left ventricular (LV) function and non-sustained VAs with a betablocker unless these agents are contraindicated. I LOE A

(5) A therapeutic trial of beta-blockers may be considered in symptomatic patients with non-sustained VAs. IIb LOE C

(6) In suitable patients without SHD, a non-dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonist may be considered as an alternative to beta-blocker treatment. IIb C

(7) In patients who suffer from symptomatic non-sustained VAs on an adequately dosed beta-blocker or a nondihydropyridine calcium channel antagonist, treatment with an antiarrhythmic drug (AAD; amiodarone, flecainide, mexiletine, propafenone, sotalol) may be considered to improve symptoms associated with arrhythmia episodes. IIb LOE C (a) Flecainide and propafenone are not recommended to suppress PVCs in patients with reduced LV function (unless caused by ventricular ectopy itself), myocardial ischaemia, or myocardial scar. III LOE A (b) Sotalol should be used with caution in patients with chronic kidney disease and should be avoided in patients with a prolonged QT interval at baseline or with excessive prolongation of QT interval (40.50 s) upon therapy initiation. I LOE B (c) Amiodarone appears to have less overall proarrhythmic risk than other AADs in patients with heart failure and may be preferred to other membrane-active AADs unless a functioning defibrillator has been implanted. IIb LOE C

(9) Amiodarone, sotalol, and/or other beta-blockers are useful pharmacological adjuncts to implantation of a defibrillator (e. g. to reduce shocks) and to suppress symptomatic NSVT in patients who are unsuitable for ICD therapy, in addition to optimal medical therapy for patients with heart failure. IIb LOE B